This invention relates to selecting an application program in a windows type operating system, and more particularly to such a selection executed through a floating selection window displayed on the system monitor.
Users must change the running applications in order to change the active task appearing at the forefront window on the monitor. For changing programs within operating systems such as Windows 95 or Windows 98 or NT 4.0, a series of user keystrokes (or clicks) was required based on memorized cumbersome procedures. For example the NT 4.0 system offers various procedures to change between applications including the following four procedures:
1) Click on the appropriate taskbar button to bring the desired application to the forefront position. The taskbar must remain visible to the user on the screen. The taskbar may be covered by an active front application which has been xe2x80x9cmaximizedxe2x80x9d and occupies the entire screen.
2) Press ALT-ESC to progress (round-robin) through all applications currently running. Multiple running applications require multiple ALT-ESC stroke sequences to cycle through the application windows. The user typically does not keep a mental count of know how many applications are running which causes uncertainties in the cycling.
3) Press ALT-TAB to display a small icon list (horizontal row) of running application, and chose the desired application by multiple ALT-TAB stroke sequences. The boxed (or highlighted) icon in the list is the one under consideration. Each ALT-TAB stroke sequence moves the box one icon to the right. The uncertain cycling difficulty of Procedure 2 is eliminated because the number of running applications is clearly shown in the icon list. However, this procedure requires the user to mentally participate, to closely observe the icon list, and to be familiar with the various icons.
4) Bring up the NT Task Manager application, chose an application tab, and double click on any running application in the list to bring that application to the active position at the front of the screen. The numerous strokes required in this procedure is burdensome.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a selection window for advancing available applications to active status at the forefront position which is faster, requiring fewer user keystrokes (or clicks).
It is another object of this invention to provide such a selection window in which both the applications available for selection and switching procedures are intuitively apparent to the user. Prior program changing procedures required the user to remember initial keystrokes to bring up menus or cycle through applications. The labyrinth prior of key strokes was not self apparent in either operation or effect.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a selection window which indicates status changes in available applications. A task switch within the selection window contains activation symbols representing the applications available for advancement. As the number of available applications increases (or decreases) the task switch expands (or contracts) to include more (or fewer) symbols. Further, the image format of activation symbols indicate the status of the applications, giving the user valuable status information. This format may change to indicate a corresponding change in status. The symbols may indicate (and update) active status, running status, in-RAM storage status, off-RAM storage status, etc.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a selection window in which available applications are presented in groups. The activation symbols are arranged within the selection window by user task defining user activity groups. Alternatively, the group presentation may be arranged by status.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a selection window in which available applications may be accessed from various storage mediums. The applications may be immediately available from close storage such as a system RAM; or remote storage such as a hard drive or Internet sources.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a selection window in which the task switch may be relocated within the monitor screen.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a selection window in which the task switch is dedicated to a floating position. The task switch is not covered (occulted) by any of the application windows.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a selection window in which the task switch is dedicated to an active status.
Briefly, these and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a computer system for advancing application programs from available status to active status. A multi-application windows type operating system simultaneously runs multiple applications. An availability roster maintains a roster of the applications which have available status and are available for advancement to active status. A display monitor responsive to the operating system, displays a stack of application windows having one window for each application which is currently running on the operating system. The monitor displays an active window at the forefront of the window stack for the window of the presently active application, and displays a selection window floating in front of the active window. A symbol generator responsive to the availability roster generates activation symbols representing at least a portion of the available applications for display in the floating selection window on the monitor. An input device permits a user to select available applications for advancement from available status to active status through the activation symbols displayed in the floating selection window. An application advancer responsive to the input device selection advances the selected applications to active status at the forefront of the display stack directly behind the floating selection window.